Obon, Obon ~ Its Festival Time!
How to Dress In Yukata
By Joyce Iwasaki
Summer is an exciting time for Buddhists all over the world with Obon festivals and odori!
For those who intend to dress in yukata, please view the following YouTube videos…
How to Dress in Yukata and Kimono by Ichiroya.com Part 1
How to Dress in Yukata and Kimono by Ichiroya.com Part 2
This is a helpful tutorial to encourage dancers to dress themselves.
The dressing rooms will be available. There will be dressers available by appointment during both days of obon to help dress. But after watching these videos ~ dancers might be ready to dress themselves. The dressers encourage dancers to dress themselves but are more than willing to assist with certain details and to give advice. The appointment sign up sheets will be available during obon practices.
These videos also point out the pieces needed to dress in yukata.
These articles include: underwear (han juban, kedashi), 1 or 2 thin towels, 5 himo, 2 datejima, obi ita, yukata and obi. The videos demonstrate where these pieces are needed.
There is a group of talented dressers who help in the dressing room each year. If you know how to dress others and would like to join this team, please contact Joyce Iwasaki ([email protected]).
The following information is from the Japanese American National Museum website:
This Bon Odori tradition can be traced back to Japan during the late Heian (794 1185) and Kamakura (1185 1333) periods. By the late 1600s, it became widespread and popular in rural communities, providing a break from farm life. This practice was interrupted by a ban during the Meiji period (1868 1912) because it was thought to encourage immoral behavior. The ban was lifted during the Taisho period (1912 1926) and new songs and dances were created, combining western instruments with traditional Japanese ones.
Reverend Yoshio Iwanaga first introduced Bon Odori on the mainland in 1930 first while visiting the Stockton Buddhist Temple, as well as during temple visits in Washington, California, Oregon, and Canada.
Reverend Yoshio Iwanaga is the late father-in-law of Reiko Iwanaga (Hanayagi Reimichi), the Temples head obon odori instructor.